Toronto Marlies win 5-2 over Chicago Wolves, take 1-0 Series Lead

Toronto Marlies open round two with a bang versus Chicago

TORONTO – On Friday night the Toronto Marlies and the Chicago Wolves kicked off their round two Calder Cup matchup in Chicago. Toronto, coming off a long layoff after their 3-0 sweep over the Milwaukee Admirals, were looking to make sure that the Wolves bark was louder than their bite. Friday was also the first post-season game for both Spencer Abbott and Peter Holland. Abbott had been sidelined with an upper body injury since the beginning of April, while Holland missed the last few games of the regular season with a minor injury.

In the first, it was the Marlies who would strike first. Just under 10 minutes played in the first, Toronto would head to the man advantage with Brent Regner in the box for holding. At 10:54 of the opening frame, the Marlies quickly solved Jake Allen. Spencer Abbott created a tic-tac-toe passing play which led to Josh Leivo and Peter Holland working the puck to an open Trevor Smith crashing the net who beat Allen for his 1st of the post season, 1-0 Toronto. Still in the first, with less than five to go, it was the duo of Abbott and Holland contributing once more. On the two-man advantage, Peter Holland lifted a backhand shot in tight over Allen making it a 2-0 Toronto lead which they would take into the dressing room. The Marlies had a lot of great chances in the first period and led the shots 14-13 after one.

In the second period, Josh Leivo decided it was time to show off his speed. 5:02 into the frame, after breaking into the offensive zone and missing his shot, Leivo collected the puck and skated with possession all the way back to centre ice. Leivo then re-entered the zone with Greg McKegg on his left side who beat Allen with a laser of a wrist shot for his 2nd of the post-season extending the Marlies lead to 3-0. Five minutes later though, the Wolves would get one back. Former Maple Leaf and Marlie Christian Hanson was left all alone on the door step as the puck ricocheted off the boards and right onto his stick and easily beat a surprised Drew MacIntyre to bring the Wolves back into the game, 3-1. Still in the second, after Spencer Abbott chased down a loose puck into the centre ice area, the Marlies were caught on a bad change where Michael Davies took advantage. Davies broke in behind Andrew MacWilliam and Stuart Percy and beat MacIntyre with nice shot, 3-2 Toronto after 40 minutes of play.

In the third the Marlies once again found the scoreboard. Three minutes into the final frame, Peter Holland and Spencer Abbott found Carter Ashton alone on the wing who powered his way to the net. Ashton actually fanned on the shot but confused Jake Allen enough that he put the puck into his own net. Ashton would get credit for his 1st of the post season, 4-2 Toronto. With less than five to go in the third, a Jerry D’Amigo stretch pass to Sam Carrick went wide, but with nobody around Carrick, he skated into the offensive zone, retrieved the puck off a ricochet off the boards and walked around Jake Allen for his 4th of the post-season sealing the victory for the Marlies. 5-2 the final score.

GAME NOTES:

Powerplay was 2/5 while the PK was 3/3

Spencer Abbott and Peter Holland looked good in their returns. Holland recorded three points (1G 2A) while Abbott recorded two assists

Drew MacIntyre stopped 37 of 39 shots he faced. He was the game’s 3rd star

The Marlies kept the Wolves best player in Dimitri Jaskin off the board. He was a -1 with 5 shots on goal

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Nice going lads. Keeping Jaskin relatively quiet and humbling Allen will do a lot to boost your desires for the next round – keep it going. You are the glimmer of light that is Toronto hockey. Good luck.

Lescott

Bottom six, Ashton – Holland – Abbott D’Amigo – Carrick – Komorov

Yan28

https://twitter.com/MarkUkLeaf/status/465135402693566464

Mind Bomb

Was A Great Game Adam, real fun to watch, I wonder how much Drew Mac is positioning himself as ur back up next year

Yan28

Devane finally got to play and looked good according to Spott.

Mattmark

The Globe and Mail is speculating this morning that Carlyle’s input this summer will contribute to Gardiner and Kadri being traded. Can they possibly be that dumb? What is the point of developing talent on the Marlies if you don’t have the patience to wait long enough to reap the rewards?

Yan28

Mattmark Tohave that idiot’s input on anything is ridiculous, but if the trade gets us Ekblad or Bennet I am good with it.

Jay_Berg

Yes. They can

Mattmark

Yan28 MattmarkThe complaint about Gardiner is that he makes mistakes. Few young defensemen don’t. Todd Gill was notorious for making at least one bonehead screw-up per game. so Leafs dumped him. Then he put his talents together and became a star.

Mattmark

Jay_Berg Our new motto: Yes, We Can (…find new ways to screw up that you never in a million years would have suspected existed)!

T K O

Mattmark Yan28Did you just say Todd Gill became a star…..

DJGLENN22

Mattmark thing is what if a package of those two and a prospect on the farm gets you lets say a number 1 center or number 1 dman would you do it.

LeafsForLife

Mattmark i said this was going to happen immediately after they kept Carlyle and signed him to 2 more years. They truly are that stupid if they do trade these 2 young guys. I like Carlyle and think hes a good coach and a good guy but his time has passed by in T.O. Hopefully they wont get rid of Naz and Gards but its more than likely.

LeafsForLife

Thank you Adam for the write-up. Great job!

Go Marlies GO!!!

JWaterdrager

All depends on the return

Mattmark

T K O MattmarkYan28Well, not an all-star. But a competent, reliable defenseman who was certainly more of an asset than Jamie Baker, the guy they traded him for.

Great Dane

Are we getting Tavares or someone like him – otherwise stop talked about moving Gardiner and Kadri.

However, this is Leafs that we are talking about so it wouldn’t surprise me at all.

Mattmark

DJGLENN22 MattmarkGardiner has future number one or two dman written all over him, so what point would there be in swapping him for the identical commodity? No-one is going to trade you a genuine number one centre for any kind of package.

Mattmark

JWaterdrager That’s true for any kind of trade. But your trades should subtract players who can’t help you from the organization, not building blocks.

T K O

DJGLENN22 Mattmark Why not both a future 1C and 1D………..Between Gardiner Kadri Franson 8th pick and probably a prospect and put together a couple of packages to land us the 1st pick from Florida and the 3rd pick from Edmonton…. Pick Ekblad and Bennett… future etched out. Short term Holland replaces Kadri….try to sign Bolland for 2 yrs. Future backend has Phaneuf, Reilly, Eckblad, Finn and Granberg.

Tim Horton

Great Dane Ekblad could be on Pietrangelo’s level… And he does have something in common with Tavares in being only the 2nd player to be granted exceptional status in the OHL.

http://theNHLarena.com/ leafersutherland

Mattmark Don’t buy their speculation. Kadri won’t go unless an upgrade at center is made. Gardiner won’t leave unless an equally young and promising player of another position is brought back.

http://theNHLarena.com/ leafersutherland

Mattmark DJGLENN22 Boston traded one to Dallas last summer.

Mattmark

T K O DJGLENN22MattmarkAnyone drafted this year is four or five years away from what Gardiner and Kadri are right now. Edmonton has been loading up on youngsters with credentials just as impressive as Ekblad’s for years, and where are they? Even lower in the standings than we are.

Get rid of Franson and give Holland a chance, sure. But keep Gardiner and Kadri and groom whoever we draft in the 8th spot. The only way out of the hole we’re in is through intelligent drafting in subsequent rounds.

Mattmark

leafersutherland MattmarkDJGLENN22He wasn’t their number one.

http://theNHLarena.com/ leafersutherland

Mattmark leafersutherland DJGLENN22 Who cares. He’s Dallas’ number one right now.

Mattmark

leafersutherland MattmarkAnd Leafs won’t give a two-year extension to a coach bankrupt of ideas and at war with his most promising young players.

http://theNHLarena.com/ leafersutherland

Mind Bomb There is a very good reason as to why MacIntyre plays in the AHL at the age of 30. Do not confuse this guy for Tim Thomas.

Mattmark

leafersutherland MattmarkDJGLENN22(?) The people in a position to make the trade cared. It factored into their decision.

Yan28

I don’t care if we’re worse next year if that’s the cost we have to pay to get Ekblad. Right handed defensmen, this could beour chance to get a franchise player for our back end, and we can work on the centre issue in the next draft. We gotta make a move, what we have right now isn’t gonna win us shit.

http://theNHLarena.com/ leafersutherland

Mattmark leafersutherland DJGLENN22 What I am saying is, if a trade can be had to give us a legitimate top centre, does it really matter if he’s a top centre right now for his current team?

wwload

Are people really treating a Feschuk article like it is based in fact? He is just trolling angry leaf fans for clicks. Heard Nonis talking about building around the two young D they love, Reilly and Gardiner. Having said that, I would guess if they could turn Gardiner into a young #1 C they would since they have high level D prospects and no 1C prospects.

JWaterdrager

Abbott in the bottom 6? Hear he is more of a top six guy.

Yan28

https://twitter.com/Hope_Smoke/status/465159708026732544

wwload

I am not a huge Carlyle fan, but why is demanding more from two young kids, who seem awfully cocky, going to war with them?

wendelsway1

Good Day All…….just can’t believe we’d trade Gardiner and/or Kadri…..think I’ll wait to hear from Shanny on this one, but then again, didn’t think Carlyle was staying either…..really hope I’m right on this one.

TheCanucksnaphook

Yan28 But I saw him at the Ricoh…..so he is alive.

TheCanucksnaphook

wendelsway1 Me too.

TheCanucksnaphook

Mattmark Yes.

TheCanucksnaphook

Lescott I dont like this, but your two centers are perfect.

Loric76

TheCanucksnaphook Yan28 in a holding pattern waiting for orders from the league on how to make this team worse.

Loric76

wendelsway1 here you go

https://twitter.com/Hope_Smoke https://twitter.com/Hope_Smoke/status/465160887490187264 I am not looking forward to the Leafs trading Kadri & Gardiner for two years of a declining Eric Staal at $8.25 million per season.

Tim Horton

Yan28 There is a long summer ahead. There is still hockey being played, no need to rush any movement. In fact it will give us more to talk about if he breaks the activity up throughout the summer… I think Shanny is just thinking of us folks.

Uncle Otis

Yan28 Was hoping there was a way without giving up #8 or moving youth…but seems that’s the way we are leaning Ekblad would be a hero in here once the hangover of losing ____________ was over

Loric76

So…LeafsTV’s really hurting for content…so far this morning, Marlies/Wolves game 1 game in an hour, Marlies/Wolves game 1 game in 6, and now Marlies/Wolves game 1.

http://theNHLarena.com/ leafersutherland

Reports suggesting John Stevens will be taking over in Vancouver. I’m shocked they didn’t go with Trotz.

ProfessorRance

leafersutherland Stevens isn’t a terrible choice either though.

http://theNHLarena.com/ leafersutherland

ProfessorRance leafersutherland Wasn’t impressed with him in Philly.

Uncle Otis

Mattmark T K OYan28 Todd Gill’s best years were wearing the MapleLeaf..bad example No more a “star” than Bob Rouse Solid #4 down d man

Loric76

leafersutherland ProfessorRance didn’t he only coach like 6 games? not much to form an opinion on